Persona: Requiem for the World's Blackhearted Youth
by WateryMind
Summary: The city of Vale. The Veil. The power of Persona. Shadows. Grimm. Life. Death. All are linked. And as Ruby Rose returns to the city of her birth, she will realize a simple truth: She is part of great things to come. Terrible things. But what can a single, broken soul achieve, in a world woven with darkness? [Persona 3 inspired RWBY fic. M rated for a reason.]
1. Shift 0

_Shift 0: Homecoming (empty)_

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _The sound reverberated through the room, the thick blue curtains hanging across the windows shifting slightly with every repetition.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _ A round table was situated in the middle of the room, under the great shifting gears that made up the ceiling. A deck of cards sat in the centre of it, the backs depicting a mask-like face in black and white.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _A man sat across the table. He was wizened, ancient, a massive nose drooping over his clasped hands. A woman sat next to him, a large book across her lap. A pair of silver glasses concealed her eyes, her blond hair pulled into an elegant ponytail that spilled down the back of her blue dress.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _The man stirred, looking up. His eyes were bloodshot, a somewhat crazed glimmer flickering in their depths.

"Hello, and welcome... To the Velvet Room. My name, is Igor." The man, Igor, then gestured to the woman to his left. "This, is Alicia." Alicia bowed her head.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, contract bearer." Igor coughed softly.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._ "It seems to be your first time here. Not to worry, my guest. All will be explained in... Time." Igor seemed to chuckle to himself, before idly flipping cards from the deck, revealing them to be tarot cards. "But time, I fear, shall soon be something you will be running short of. Hmmm..." Igor looked at a card for a few moments, before placing to down.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _"It seems that my time here grows short. I have other... Matters, to attend to. But heed my words before you depart." Igor raised his gaze. "In the coming months, you will see strange things, and meet stranger people. Keep your mind open, and your heart safe. And above all, do not be afraid. For fear is the Shadows pathway." Igor then stood, and bowed slightly.

"Until we next meet."

_Tick. Tock. Tick._

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoed through the nightmare city.

A figure sprinted onto an empty street, the sky swilling in tempests of madness.

Skittering sounds echoed from within the darkness.

The figure reached past it's dark, flowing hair and drew a dark blade. Ancient words gleamed along the weapon in the pale orange light.

And as the shadows seemed to shift and come to life, the young woman smirked and drew the weapon across her hand.

* * *

A jolt shook the girl from her sleep. Looking around the SUV in surprise, the girl then gave a large yawn, before stretching her arms, dislodging the headphones that were tangled in her red tinted hair in the process.

"Oh dangit," she muttered as they bounced onto the floor. Reaching down, she strained against her belt, before sighing in defeat as they slid across the floor as the vehicle rounded a bend. Then, a hand reached down and picked them up.

"Here you go, Ruby-chan," The other occupant of the rear seats said. With flowing, unruly blond locks, much more defined facial features and far more developed body, it was hard to imagine that the pair were siblings.

"Oh! Thanks Neechan," Ruby Rose replied with a smile. She then pulled her headphones back over her ears and clicked through her music player's library, searching for a song. As she did so, her mind wandered, and as she stared out at the passing world outside the vehicle, she thought about her dream. _What was that place? Have I been there before?... It's weird. Whatever. I'll put it in my diary when we reach Vale._ _Speaking of..._

"Hey, Ojisan. How much longer? I can't feel my legs, we've been sitting so long," Yang asked, saving Ruby the trouble of voicing the question.

"Not much further now, girls. In fact, I think we can see the city over this hill," the diver of the vehicle replied. Ruby and Yang shifted towards the middle seat and looked out the windscreen. As they crested the hill, they saw a sprawling city nestled between a forested area and the seaside, several large ships floating on the shimmering blue expanse. The sun hovered over the forest, its rays illuminating the sea of red leaves.

"Well girls, welcome to Vale," the diver said. Yang whistled softly, and Ruby gasped in awe.

"Wooooow..." she said softly. Yang put an arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her sister close.

"Pretty cool, huh?" After a few moments, Yang ruffled Ruby's hair, ignoring the red head's protest.

"Welcome home, Ruby-chan."

* * *

The green SUV pulled off the road into the driveway of a relatively modern home. The property looked to be in a state of disuse, the small front garden overgrown with weeds. Ruby kicked the rear door of the SVU open and hopped out, stretching her body out. A series of pops and cracks from the other side of the vehicle told Ruby that Yang was doing the exact same thing.

"Well girls, here we are," the driver said, getting out of the vehicle and yawning loudly. With silver eyes and a powerful looking build, Qrow Rose resembled both of his nieces to an extent. Running a hand through his greying brown hair, he sighed and looked at the house with a critical eye.

"Damnit, Taiyang. You said the place was being looked after," Qrow muttered, before pulling a set of keys from his pocket and turning to the two girls. "Start unloading, will you? I'll see about getting this place opened up."

* * *

Ruby stood in the centre of the small room. It was a shock to her system how much had changed in ten years. The window where once a small birdcage had hung had been replace by a glass sliding down that led out to the rear courtyard. The wall that once had been covered in paintings and drawings was now a flat white, her childhood effectively washed away. _But then again, this place stopped being my home when Mum died..._ Sighing softly, Ruby put the box in her arms on the desk that occupied one corner of the room, before trudging to the nearby futon couch and sitting down. Her small television and radio still packed away on the floor, Ruby stared out the sliding glass door as the sun set, before getting to her feet and going to the box on the desk. Digging through it for a moment, she quickly pulled out a small diary, decorated with red and black drawings.

"Alright Dream Diary-kun, let's see what you think of this one," Ruby muttered to herself, grabbing out a pencil from the box and starting to put her dream during the trip into words.

* * *

"Ruby! Dinner's ready!" Qrow's voice jerked Ruby from her trance-like state. Blinking and yawning, she looked at what she had written, as well as a pair of drawings. The first was of the people she had seen, Igor and Alicia they were labelled. The second was of the back of the deck of tarot cards that Igor had been looking at. Screwing her face up in thought, Ruby bit down on her pencil gently, deep in thought. _What could something like this mean?..._

"Ruby! Hurry up, or Yang'll eat your ramen!" Qrow called from the living area. Ruby shut the dream diary and quickly stood.

"Coming, Ojisan!" she shouted back, before sprinting out to the living area. While Ruby had been coped up in her room, Yang and Qrow had done a decent job of making the dusty, unused room somewhat liveable. Even so, a film of dust still coated the coach, and the kitchen obviously had seen better days. Indeed, the only surfaces that didn't have an amount of dust on them were the low dining table in the middle of the room, and the rather large television sitting on top of a rather large box. After sitting down across from Yang, Ruby gave her and Qrow a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. I was writing in my dream diary and sorta lost track of time, heh," she said, looking down at her cheap instant ramen bowl.

"It's alright Ruby. Now then, what do we say before eating?" Qrow asked. Ruby and Yang groaned softly, before clapping their hands together and saying "Thank you for the meal."

"Good girls. Now then, dig in. Should be done by now," Qrow said, pulling the lid off his own bowl. Ruby and Yang did the same, and the small family ate in a comfortable silence, the only sound (aside from the sound of slurped noodles) coming from the television, which was showing the weather report.

"Ah man! I love ramen," Yang said once she had finished, flopping backwards and stretching her legs out under the table, accidentally kicking Ruby in the process.

"Yang! That hurt!" Ruby complained, rubbing her leg and putting on the puppy eyes.

"Oh sorry Ruby-chan. I'm sure it didn't hurt too badly," Yang said with a smirk. Ruby gave off a low growl, and Qrow sighed.

"Girls, please, no fighting." Once Ruby had stopped growling and Yang had made a sound vaguely resembling an apology, Qrow spoke again.

"Now, you two start school tomorrow. You'll be at Beckon High School, which from what I heard from Taiyang is... Respectable." Qrow shuddered somewhat as he remembered the actual conversation he had had with Yang's father, before continuing. "Now, I'll be taking you there tomorrow, seeing as I have an appointment in the city in the morning anyway. After that, you'll have to catch a train. Now, I want you both asleep by midnight, am I clear?"

"Yes, Ojisan," the two girls replied. Qrow nodded, before fixing his gaze onto Ruby.

"This means in bed, properly asleep _without_ those blasted headphones of yours. Understood?" Ruby nodded, a scowl on her face.

"But I can't sleep without them..." she muttered. _The voices keep me awake without them._

"Well it's high time you learned how to. You're 15, Ruby. Yeah, you're a year ahead in school, but your sleeping pattern is truly awful, girl." Qrow sighed, before looking to Yang for help. Yang sat up and nudged her sister's leg gently with her foot, drawing her attention.

"We're just worried, Ruby. Is all. We're not having a go at you," she said softly. Ruby sighed softly.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry." Ruby then got to her feet and collected the empty ramen packets. Dumping them onto the trash pile as she went past, Ruby then disappeared into her room, emerging a moment later with a set of pajamas and quickly heading upstairs to the bathroom. As the sound fo running water filled the quiet, Qrow sighed and ran a hand over his stubble.

"She's always been like this, Ojisan. Ever since Mum died," Yang said. Qrow nodded slowly, before deeply sighing.

"I know. I just hope that being here doesn't hurt her any more then she already has been."

* * *

Ruby lay awake on her futon, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling. Across the room, hanging from her desk chair, was a school uniform, still in it's plastic wrappings. Sighing to herself, she then closed her eyes. Immediately, she heard them.

"_She'll never be right." "She's not even trying in class." "Unacceptable. One more count of truancy and you're expelled." "__Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. And at such a young age, too." "Mum's gone, Ruby! She's never coming back!" I don't want you! I don't want either of you!"_

The voices grew in number and volume, until Ruby was covering her ears in a vain attempt to block them out.

"No, go away. You're not real!" Bolting upright, Ruby groped around the futon for several panicked moments, before finding her salvation. Clamping the headphones over her ears and hammering the play button until something, _anything_, started drowning out the voices. Sighing in relief, Ruby slowly slumped back down, slipping into a deep sleep, full of dreams of a velvet room, and a maddening orange sky.

A/N: Oh hai. So, I've been on a bit of a Persona trip lately, and found myself wondering "How awesome would Ruby with a Persona be?". And thus, this pile of trash was born. I am not sorry.

Copyright belongs to their sources.

Why are there smatterings of Japanese honorifics and other such nonsense? FUCK YOU THAT'S WHY.


	2. Shift 1

_Shift 01: Over Her Head (open)_

Ruby stared at the edifice in front of her, and gulped. The building was intimidating, in a rather gothic way. Several stories tall, and constructed from a rather bright stone, Beacon High almost shone in the early morning sun, adding blindness to Ruby's growing list of worries. Looking down at herself, Ruby straightened the old burgundy blouse and plaid skirt that was her required uniform, before pulling the red coat she wore over top of it. The coat had seen better days, with most of the buttons missing and the edges fraying, but it was something Ruby almost always wore. _It's my shell, a shield against the world... _

"You okay there, Ruby-chan?" Qrow asked, winding down the SUV's window and looking at his younger niece. A shave and washing of his hair had done wonders for his appearance, seemingly removing ten years from his age. Ruby sighed, before giving her uncle a smile.

"Yeah. Just new school jitters, I guess," she replied. A bark of laughter heralded Yang's entrance into the conversation. The older sibling was wearing an identical uniform to Ruby's, with the addition of a pair of bright yellow bracelets sliding jangling her arms as she moved.

"Oh come on Ruby-chan. You should try to start your school year off... With a _yang!" _Yang said with a Cheshire grin. Qrow groaned and thumped his head against the steering wheel, sounding the horn by accident and scaring a few arriving students. One, a pale girl with snow white hair, took a moment to throw a filthy glare at Qrow before continuing on her way.

"Yang Xaio Long, that was a truly _awful _pun. Go on, get. Before I smack you upside the head for it," Qrow said, his playful tone taking the wind out of the threat. Grinning, Yang quickly leaned into the SUV and gave her uncle a somewhat awkward hug, before running off with a shout of "See you tonight, Ojisan!" Sighing, Qrow gave Ruby a bemused smile.

"Make sure she doesn't get into a fight on a first day, will you?" he said. Ruby chuckled and nodded.

"I'll do my best. But you know what she's like." Qrow quietly chuckled at the statement.

"Yeah, I know." Ruby then looked down at her shoes for several moments, before speaking again. "Ojisan, I'm scared." Qrow sighed, before reaching out and beckoning her closer. Once she was in reach, he put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You'll be fine. You're a good kid, Ruby. I'm sure you'll make lots of friends," Qrow said softly, a small smile forming on his face. Ruby sighed, before returning the smile and nodding.

"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be fun."

* * *

_I was wrong. I was SO WRONG. _Ruby's eye twitched slightly from the effort of not starting to screaming as loud as she could and never stopping. Every instinct told her to run all the way home and hide under her comforter and never come out. The reason for her panic?

She was currently standing at the front of her new class. She could feel the gazes boring into her skin, and it took all her willpower to not break down. _Do not scream. __DO NOT SCREAM__. _

"Now then, to business," her new teacher, a green-haired man name Oobbleck said. He took a sip of a coffee so black Ruby was almost certain he was drinking oil, and continued. "We have a new student joining us. Please, introduce yourself." Ruby gulped and steeled herself. _Oh I wish I wasn't here right now._

"H-hello. My name i-is Ruby Rose. It's n-nice to m-meet you all," she managed to blurt out, before bowing. _And I only stuttered three times. Success!_ She then looked back up at the class, and realized that all of them were talking softly.

"Omigod she's so _cute~_! Oh, Ren! Can we adopt her?" "I think her parents would object to that, Nora." "Ruby Rose, huh?..." "Poor girl, I hope Oobleck-sensei lets her sit soon." I wonder how much that coat cost..." Ruby allowed herself to sigh, before picking her bag up off the ground.

"Have a seat, miss -_sip-_ Rose," Oobleck said, waving at an empty seat near the centre of the room. Ruby quickly made her way to her seat and attempted to make herself comfortable.

"Well then. For those unaware, my name is Mr Oobleck. I expect you to address me as that, or sensei. In addition to school policies, I have 3 rules. Rule 1." Oobleck then seemingly zipped across the floor and, faster then Ruby could see, wrote the first rule on the blackboard. "Never touch the coffee. You will not survive. Rule two." A second line appear on the board. "Do not even think about touching the coffee. And rule three." Third line, and Ruby was convince that Oobleck was somehow pausing time because _no one writes that fast_. "Do not question the coffee. For this coffee is the elixir of the gods, the evolutionary conclusion for all caffinated drinks..." As Oobleck launched into a long winded tangent on the merits of coffee, Ruby sighed and slipped her headphones on over her ears. _Just once, can I have a normal teacher? Thanks._

* * *

Lunchtime rolled around, and Ruby was sitting at her desk, happily munched away on a bag of cookies, her head moving in time with the rather loud music she was listening to. So focused was she on the music, she completely missed the approach of a rather large boy.

"Hey, short stuff." A moment passes. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Another moment, and the boy clenched a fist and made to grab Ruby, but was stopped by the appearance of four figures behind her.

"Cardin, I suggest leaving. _Now,_" said one of the figures. Cardin gulped, before bolting so fast he left a dust cloud. Sighing, Ruby then shook the bag of cookies.

"Awwww, it's empty..." She muttered softly, before sliding her headphones off her ears. Blinking, she then looked behind her and noticed a group of people standing behind her. "Errr... Hi?"

"Oh! Hello!" One of the figures said. Her red hair and bright green eyes provided a very sharp contrast, drawing Ruby's eye almost instantly. Her attention was so fixed on the girl that she hardly noticed two of the figures quickly shove what appeared to be a sledgehammer into a locker and slam it shut.

"Hi. Umm, who are you?" Ruby asked. The girl gasped, before scratching her head sheepishly.

"Whoops. Forgot, you're new. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, and this here is Nora Valkyrie." An orange haired girl with a pink bandanna wrapped around her wrist and what appeared to be a bow around her neck gave a massive grin, before stepping closer to Ruby.

"Hi I'm Nora you can call me Nora-san if you want! Oh what are you listening to? I had earphones like them once but then I broke them while I was smacking Dove around with a garbage can do you remember that Ren? Ren help me cover up the evidence," Nora said, pausing to smile happily at one of the boys. Said boy sighed, a bang of pink hair swaying down from the rest of his black locks to rest on a green scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Yes, Nora. I did. And we both got in trouble for it." Ren then extended a hand to Ruby. "Lie Ren. Call me Ren-san, please. I'm the class president for the moment, so don't hesitate to talk to me about anything."

"Will do, Ren-san," Ruby replied, grabbing Ren's hand and shaking the poor boy so vigorously that he staggered off a few moments later, seeing stars. Nora skipped over to him to make sure he was alright, and the last of the four stepped forward.

"Sorry about Nora, she's a bit... Intense," Pyrrha said. Ruby nodded in agreement.

"Ren looks like he's got it hard," she said, watching as Nora lifted Ren into the air in a bonecrushing hug. She then turned to looked at the other boy, and paused. _Wait, do I..._

"Little Red?" The blond boy asked. His scraggly blond locks and dark blue eyes jogged something in Ruby's memories, and suddenly she heard a voice from her past. _"Lill' Red! Let's play!"_

"Joan-tan?" She asked softly. The boy promptly fell flat on his face, a panicked Pyrrha helping him to his feet a moment later.

"It's Jaune, Ruby-san. Jaune Arc. Remember?" He said. Ruby stared at him for several moments, before giving a joyous cry and tackling the tall boy to the ground with a rib-cracking hug.

* * *

Once Jaune had be extracted from Ruby's deathhug and revived, the five sat down with Ruby in the center.

"So you know Ruby-san, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, rubbing his back soothingly.

"Yeah. We grew up together here. Well, before she moved to Atlas, that is," Jaune said, rubbing his chest for a moment before resting his arms on the back of Pyrrha's chair. For her part, Pyrrha smiled softly and leaned her head against his forearms.

"Oh wow really? Is Atlas awesome? I bet it's awesome. Did you go to Sanctum? I bet she went to Sanctum," Nora said in her rapid-fire way, a cheery smile plastered on her face. Ruby took a moment to recover from the onslaught, before replying.

"Atlas was... Busy. Everyone had somewhere they needed to be. And Sanctum is a private school, Nora-san. Not just anyone can go there," she said.

"She's right. Sanctum is an exclusive academy, for those who are wealthy, powerful, or simply _better _then you," said a rather cold voice from the classroom's rear door. Looking in that direction, Ruby saw the girl that had glared at Qrow earlier in the morning.

"Oh, Weiss-san. What brings you here?" Pyrrha said, standing to meet the white haired folded her arms and wore a scowl as she looked around the room, completely ignoring those around her with a demeanour that was borderline narcissistic.

"I'm looking for Ren-san. Nora, you haven't seen him, have you? He is needed for the Student Council hearing this afternoon, and I wish to discuss certain points with him beforehand," she said. Nora shrugged from her perch atop the cabinet at the back of the room. _Wait, when did she get there?_

"Nope! Haven't seen him since homeroom! Sorry Weiss-_chaaaaaaan~_," the orange haired girl replied, dragging out the honorific to the point of being insulting. Weiss's scowl became a look of full on fury, before she spun on her heel (_Who wears heels to school?_) and storming out of the classroom, blowing past a pair of students walking into the classroom.

"Yeesh, what's her issue?" Yang said, before turning and smiling enthusiastically at Ruby. "Yo, Ruby-chan!"

"Hi Yang," Ruby replied somewhat softly. _Why does she always call me chan? She doesn't have to use an honorific..._

"So... Made some friends, have you?" she said, looking at the small gathering. Ruby perked up and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess. This is Pyrrha-san." "Hello." "Nora-san." "Hi!" "And this is Jaune-san. Remember him?" Ruby said, pointing at each person as she spoke. Yang's face lit up in a massive grin.

"Yeah, I remember him. Nice hair, Blondie," she said with a smirk. Jaune snorted softly.

"Could say the same to you. Say, didn't you forget Ren?" he said, looking at Ruby. She gasped, and looked around the room.

"Yeah... Ummm.. Where is he?" Ruby questioned. There was a loud thump, before the cabinet at the back of the room flung itself open and spat out one Lie Ren. Picking himself up and dusting his clothes off, he looked around the room.

"Good. She's gone. Sorry about that. I do not enjoy Weiss' company as much as she thinks I do," he explained.

"She's a biiiiiiiiiiitch," Nora helpfully supplied, hopping off the cabinet and latching onto his arm with a happy smile. Ren sighed.

"Yes, Nora, thank you. I was trying to not say that," he said softly, before looking at Yang. "Hi. I'm Lie Ren. Class President for 2-2." Jaune snickered and looked at him with a grin.

"We're still trying to work out _how _exactly it happened. He wasn't even in the election, he just ended up being chosen," Jaune said. Ren shrugged as best as one could with an arm locked in a vice-like grip. Yang chuckled softly, before rest a hand on her hip and shaking her head.

"By the way Ruby, Ojisan sent me a message. Says he'll be home late tonight. Apparently he's starting at work immediately," Yang said. She then looked over at the person she had arrived with. "By the way Ruby, this is Blake. She's the Arts Club president." Ruby immediately bolted over to the black haired girl with speed normally attributed to bullets. For her part, Blake was unphased, her only reaction being looking up from the book in her hand and raising an eyebrow.

"Hi Blake-sama I'm Ruby Rose I really wanna join your club can I join your club please please _pleeeeeeeeeeeease_" Ruby rambled, her voice jumping up in pitch at the end. Blake flinched slightly at the sound, before sighing and closing her book.

"School clubs don't take on new members until the third week. And the Arts Club doesn't usually fill up, so you'll be able to join, I'm sure," Blake said, offering Ruby a small smile. Ruby pouted, before extending a hand.

"Shake on it," she demanded, mustering all 5 foot 2 of herself into being as intimidating as possible. Which wasn't very. Blake chuckled, before taking the offered hand in hers and shaking.

_**The Moon**. _Ruby gave a little gasp, before releasing Blake's hand and staggering backwards, colliding with Yang.

"Whoa Ruby. You alright?" the blond asked. Ruby stared at her hand for a moment, before looking up at Blake. The black haired girl's expression had changed, her eyes narrowing slightly. _She knows what just happened. She heard the same thing._ Before Ruby could say anything, Blake turned on her heel and quickly left the room. Staring at where she had been standing, Ruby then sighed sadly. _Well, there I go again. Chasing off another friend for one reason or another. _

"Hey, she left her book," Jaune said, walking over and picking up said object. "_Flight of Fancy_. Huh, never pegged Blake as being into this sort of thing."

"And how do you know what type of book that is, Scraggly?" Yang asked teasingly. Jaune took the question in his stride.

"I have seven older sisters, Blondie. How do you think I know?" As Jaune and Yang started verbally sparring (_Good, they get on_), Ruby quickly snatched the book from Jaune's grasp, slipped out the door, and ran down the hall. Yang blinked as her younger sister vanished from sight, before turning to Jaune and pointing at the boy menacingly.

"You're helping me find her," was all she said, and Jaune disappeared in a puff of dust, chasing after Ruby.

* * *

Bursting out through the school's main doors, Ruby flinched as the bright sun hit her eyes. Skidding to a stop, she looked around the school's front yard, before spotting Blake as she walked out the school gates. Looking at the book in her hand for a moment, Ruby then nodded to herself and set off after Blake. _She knows something, I'm sure of it. That dream, and that voice just now..._

* * *

Ruby trailed behind Blake, trying desperately to ignore the bubbling feeling of panic and fear in her stomach. Her impromptu decision to stalk the black haired girl had resulted in Ruby following Blake into the city centre. Here, all that could be heard was the sound of traffic and people making their way through the streets, and the volume was such that Ruby had slipped her earphones over her ears, in an attempt to block some of it out. Such was the amount of foot traffic on the side walks that Ruby had lost Blake more then once, and only through mad dashes through the crowds had she been relocated.

As Ruby followed and watched, Blake slipped out of the crowds and ducked into a small alleyway. Ruby gulped, before following her into the alley. Immediately a burst of steam from an exposed pipe sent her scrambling forward in a panic, before she managed to calm herself down. Then, she crept as close to the now stationary Blake as she dared, before crouching behind a dumpster and easing her headphones to rest on her shoulders. As she watched a brown-haired girl approached from the other entrance to the alleyway.

"What is it, Blake? You should be at school," she said as she walked right up to Blake. Her voice was timid and rather quiet, making it difficult for Ruby to hear. Blake's, on the other hand, was clear and confident, moreso then it had been at Beacon.

"Velvet, are you sure there are no more awakened in the city? Absolutely sure?" she asked, her tone shifting between demanding and... _Afraid?_

"Yes, of course I'm sure. I couldn't sense anyone else through the Veil last night." The brown-haired girl, Velvet, replied. She then pulled out a rather large tome from her shoulder bag, opened it to a page and displayed it to Blake. "See? No one else. If there is someone here with a Persona that I can't sense, then your best bet is Goodwitch-sensei." _Goodwitch? Why is that name familiar?_ Ruby's thoughts were then interrupted by Blake speaking again.

"There's a new girl at Beacon. Ruby Rose. Look, I shook her hand and... Yamata stirred. I'm pretty sure she felt something as well from the way she jumped. Look, if she isn't an awoken, then she has the potential, and that means..."

"Grimm. Dangit. Okay, we need to talk to Ozpin-sensei, see if we can't..." AS the two continued conversing in increasingly abstract terms, Ruby slid downwards and wrapped her arms around her knees. _Awoken? Persona? Grimm? What are they talking about? And what does it have to do with my dream? Or that voice I heard... _So deep in her thoughts, Ruby didn't even notice that the pair had stopped talking, or see the figure that entered the alley in front of her.

"Ruby! There you are!" The voice shocked Ruby from her thoughts, sending her scrambling to her feet in a panic. Looking to the source of the voice, she saw Jaune standing at the entrance to the alleyway, leaning against the wall and panting, a hand gently rubbing his chest.

"Geez. Make me run. Don't you know I have. Breathing issues?" He said, weaving the words between heavy pants.

"Ruby-san? Jaune-kun?" Ruby spun around to see Blake and Velvet staring at them, Velvet's expression one of nervousness, Blake's one of barely repressed anger. Ruby tried to speak, but the only sounds that would come out her mouth were stutters and fragments of words. As she tried to regain her composure, or something resembling it, the final nail in the coffin labelled 'Ruby's emotional state' appeared in the form of Yang bursting past Jaune.

"Ruby Rose! I thought you knew better then to run off like that!" Yang said sternly, her face one of mixed anger and disappointment. It was a look Ruby had seen before. _"You stupid girl! You're good for nothing, you are! You should have died, instead of your mother!"_

"No! That's not... No!" Ruby shouted, clamping her hands over her ears as she started to hyperventilate. Yang, immediately realizing that her sister was about to fall head first into a panic attack, spoke once more, her voice layered with concern.

"Ruby, please calm down. We're not going to hurt her," she said, slowly walking towards the panicking girl. Ruby jerked her head up to meet Yang's gaze with wide, tear-filed eyes, and Yang realized, with heart-wrenching familiarity, what was about to happen.

"No! Stay away from me!" Ruby stumbled backwards, before tripping over a bag of rubbish. Jaune and Blake immediately moved to help her, but Ruby scrambled back to her feet almost immediately.

"Don't! She's panicking! She'll hurt you to get away!" Yang said, grabbing Jaune's arm to hold him still and giving Blake a pleading look. Ruby looked around the alleyway, looking for some way, _any way, _out. She saw a door in the wall to her right, and immediately ran to it. Ignoring the fact that it seeming to twisted and contort itself in and out of shape. Ignoring how the light beyond it was a unnatural pale orange.

Ignoring how the door hadn't been there 30 seconds ago.

"Wait no! Ruby! Don't go through that!" Blake's sudden and panicked outburst fell on deaf ears as Ruby gripped the doorhandle and pulled it open. Inside, she saw a maddening vortex within an empty void. She faintly heard, Yang Blake and Velvet all yell her name, before a pair of hands, pitch black in colour, reached out grabbed her arm.

* * *

_**I am thou. And thou art I. You awakening draws near.**_

* * *

The voice echoed through Ruby's head once more. And as realization dawned on her, the pressure on her arm increased a hundredfold, before the arms effortlessly dragged her across the threshold.

She didn't have time to scream before the vortex took her.

* * *

**A/N: **Well then. Hello, I am Watery, and I am both RWBY and Persona trash. To answer some questions before they are asked, yes, I am taking liberties with the characters, no there are no Faunus, and yes, Ruby is not well in the head. Until next time :D


	3. Shift 2

_Shift 02: Fight or Flight (without choice)_

The four teenagers stared at the space where, not five seconds previously, Ruby Rose had been dragged through a doorway that opened into a glowing vortex. Having consumed it's victim, the door had then silently swung shut, as if nothing had ever happened. None of the four moved, nor did they make a sound, their brains processing what just happened. Then, they all jerked back into motion at once, all reacting in different ways.

Blake swore rather loudly, before turning to Velvet. "Can you sense her? _Is she alive_?"

Velvet quickly opened her massive tome and closed her eyes for a moment, before nodding. "Yes. She's not moving, but she's alive."

Jaune turned a rather pale shade of green, before collapsing to his knees and emptying the contents of his stomach onto the ground. He then took several deep, gulping breaths, rubbing his chest while doing so.

And Yang ignored everything around her, a red mist dropping as she started towards the doorway, with one thought racing through her mind. _Find Ruby. Keep her safe. Find Ruby. Keep her safe. _She reached out towards the door's handle, but her hand was stopped in motion by Blake.

"No. You can't go in there. You'll just put yourself in danger, alongside Ruby," the black haired girl said, her voice firm. Yang growled and wrenched her hand from Blake's grasp, tears beginning to trickle down her face.

"Fuck you! That's my little sister in that door! That's my Ruby! Something reached out of that door and _stole _her from me! I'm going in there, getting her back, and fucking _murdering _whoever took her!" Yang then went for the door handle again, only for Blake to step between her and the doorway.

"Yang, calm down," Blake began, only for the distraught Yang to throw a wild punch at her. Blake ducked the blow, before lashing out with an open palm. The blow connected with Yang's chest, sending the taller blond staggering backwards. Jaune quickly stepped between the two girls, hold his arms out in an attempt to keep them separated.

"Yang, calm down! Blake's just as worried as you are! I don't know what the hell just happened, but Blake seems to know! So let her help!" Jaune's shouted pleas seemed to make their way past Yang's anger, as the look of fury slowly left her face. Sighing in relief, Jaune then turned to Blake. "Belladonna-san, please tell me you know what's happening." Blake nodded.

"I do. And I swear, Yang, I'll get your sister back." Turning to Velvet, she continued speaking. "Is she moving yet?"

"Yes. She hasn't gone far, though. Blake, I won't be able to guide you from here. You're on your own in there," the brown-haired girl replied, looking up from her tome. Nodding, Blake then turned to face the doorway.

"If I'm not back in an hour, call Ozpin-sensei." She then gripped the door handle and took a deep breath. _I'm coming, Ruby-san._

* * *

Ruby jerked awake with a yelp, her face pressed against what felt like tarmac. Scrambling to her feet, she took in her surroundings. And gave a terrified whimper. "I don't think I'm in Vale anymore..."

The cityscape she saw was shattered, with most of the buildings burnt out shells or partially collapsed. Several buildings, Ruby noted, seemed to have fragments of themselves hovering in the air above them. The road she stood on was fractured and broken, with burnt out cars and ruined street carts littered as far as the eye could see. Everything was bathed in a sickly orange glow, the source being the sky above the city. The vortex that had been on the other side of the door dominated the sky, it's orange light nearly blinding Ruby when she looked up. Looking back down to where she had arrived, Ruby felt a shiver run up her spine. _This place is... Wrong. I dunno why, but it just IS._ And as Ruby surveyed her surroundings once more, it hit her.

There was no sound. No wind. No plants.

No _life._

"In the name of cookies, where am I?" Ruby muttered to herself. She then took a deep breath, before starting to walk down the torn street. _No point staying there. Place is creeping me out. _

As Ruby moved along the street, she failed to notice how the shadows seemed to shift. And as she passed a ruined van, several small patches of darkness detached themselves from the shadow and zipped from shadow to shadow, following the girl as she walked down the street.

* * *

Blake landed with a grunt and a roll, before standing to see that she had landed on a rooftop. Walking up to the edge, she saw that she was several stories above the street below. _Damnit. __Why is __it that I always land on roofs? _Sighing, Blake then stepped off the edge. As she fell, a charm hanging from a plain bracelet shone brightly, casting a purple light that enveloped her hand. The light then flared brightly, before dissipating, revealing a wakizashi. Gripping the weapon tightly, Blake then flipped in mid air and, with a cry of "Garu!" swung her hand towards the ground. A jet of air immediately obeyed her command, arresting her fall before depositing her on the ground. Gripping the hilt of her weapon tightly, Blake surveyed the street, her eyes jumping from shadow to shadow as she slowly moved down the street. As she moved, another charm, this one hanging from her school skirt, glowed brightly, before revealing a small tanto, hanging across her back in it's sheath. Satisfied that she wasn't about to be attacked, Blake then took a moment to sling the larger sword across her back. Her eyes then went wide as she heard a horrifying sound, one that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

A scream.

"Ruby!" Blake shouted, taking off in a sprint in the direction of the sound.

* * *

"Oh god what the hell is that thing!" Ruby half shouted, half screamed as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Sliding across the bonnet of a ruined car, she glanced back at what was chasing her. She saw teeth. A _lot_ of teeth. She then refocused on what was ahead of her, and nearly ran into the waiting jaws of another of the monsters. Instinct took over, and the next thing Ruby knew was the cracked tarmac digging painfully into her body as she rolled, the creature she was now underneath chomping down on nothing but air. Looking up at the thing, Ruby saw that it was effectively a large basketball with a mouth. Which moved it from 'plain terrifying' to 'cartoonishly terrifying'. A growling snapped Ruby back to reality, however demented it currently was, and Ruby rolled to the side. An instant later, and there was a large clunk of tarmac missing from the road, one of the monsters chewing viciously through it with ease. Then, Ruby felt the wind move above her, and suddenly one of the creatures was enveloped in a whirling mass of green vapor. The creature screeched as the wind ripped into its form, before collapsing to the ground and dissolving. Looking around, Ruby saw her unlikely salvation; Blake. Running towards Ruby, Blake drew her weapons and leapt at the remaining monster, before her form flickered and she suddenly appeared on the road behind the creature, the creature's jaws closing on a shadowy after-image left behind. Nothing stirred for a moment.

The creature growled as it realized it had been denied this new meal.

Ruby whimpered, but otherwise kept still.

And Blake gave a smug grin over her shoulder, her amber eyes glowing as a drop of black liquid ran the length of the longer of her swords.

And then the creature screamed and exploded into a black cloud of liquid, drenching Ruby as she yelped, before sputtering and coughing as some of the liquid managed to get into her mouth.

"Ruby-san, are you okay?" Blake asked, walking over to the red clad girl and offering a hand. Ruby coughed once more, before spitting out some of the black liquid onto the groud beside her and taking Blake's hand.

"I'm alright. Well, I'm freaking out because _where the fuck are we and what the hell is happening what were those things and I want to go home!_" Ruby rambled, her voice uneven and her eyes wide. Blake then spun around as a howl pierced the silence around them, raising her weapons defensively.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to run. We've attracted the attention of something that will love nothing more then to kill us and devour our souls," the raven haired girl said. She then pressed the smaller of her blades into Ruby's hands and looked right into her eyes. "Follow me. Do not stop moving. If I tell you to run, you _run_. If I tell you to leave me, you leave me. Got it?" Ruby nodded numbly, before awkwardly clutching the tanto with both hands.

"L-lead the way, Blake-sama."

* * *

"Hmm... How interesting. It seems Belladonna has grown in strength. The sea of her soul is deep, indeed."

"Well, I reckon that that Rose girl has more power in her then she lets on. I mean, the girl is scared shitless!"

…

"Oh come _on_, you cannot be feeling pity for the humans _now_! It's not their world, it's ours! We can take what we will!"

"Including their lives, as is our place. Yes, Torchwick, you have told me that many times. Let's arrange a test, shall we?"

"Oh this sounds fun."

* * *

Ruby and Blake ran hard, their footsteps echoing through the dead streets. All around them, the shadows slithered, following them as the pair moved. Again, the howl shattered the silence of the dead city, seemingly much closer then before.

"Where are we going?" Ruby yelled, her grip on the tanto's hilt clumsy, but tight.

"A exit point! We're almost there-" Blake was cut off by a wall to their right simply _exploding_ outwards. A vortex surrounded the pair, shielding them from flying debris. It couldn't, however, shield Blake from the black form that slammed into her, sending her skipping across the pavement. "Blake!" Ruby screamed, before seeing what exactly had attacked them. It was wolflike in its appearance, in a mocking sort of way. The creature towered over Ruby, plates of white bone sprouting seemingly at random from it's fur, a helmet of the same bone encasing it's head. It's arms were out of proportion to the rest of it's body, giving it a gangly appearance. Swinging its gaze to Ruby, the beast roared, before swiping at her with impossible speed. The paw smashed into Ruby's side, sending her flying into a nearby ruined car. Collapsing to the ground, Ruby gave a small cry of pain, the tanto falling from her grasp as she hugged her broken body. Satisfied that she was dealt with, the creature returned it's gaze to Blake, who was now struggling back to her feet. The raven-haired girl spat out a mouthful of blood, before a faint purple glow enveloped her body. The creature immediately roared and charged her, lunging towards Blake with fury. Blake gritted her teeth as the glow faded, before leaping over the charging beast, slashing at it as she passed over it. Her blade struck the beast, only to bounce off a bone plate. Landing, Blake immediately spun and slashed the air in front of her. The air responded, a blade of green wind surging forward and smashing into the creature. The creature stumbled, before roaring as its red eyes flashed yellow. Blake's eyes widened in horror as she realized what was happening, before a bolt of lightning slammed into her body. She screamed as the Zio spell surged through her body, before mercifully fading. She swayed in place for a moment, before collapsing to the ground, unable to move. The creature huffed in satisfaction, before standing tall and howling to the orange sky above.

* * *

"Well, that was a disappointment. Ah well. Belladonna's been a pain for quite some time."

"I would not yet celebrate, Torchwick. It seems the little Rose isn't quite dead."

* * *

Ruby watched as Blake fell, small wisps of smoking rising from her weapon fell from her grip. _This is it. I'm going to die. _Her hands clenched shut as a strangled sob crawled its way up her throat. _Pathetic, useless. Like always. Why can't I do anything? WHY CAN'T I FIGHT? __I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_

**Do you wish for strength? To be able to act? To save yourself, and your friend?**

_Yes._

**Do you accept responsibility for your actions, and all consequences for those actions, henceforward?**

_Yes._

**Then the contract is sealed.**

Groaning, Ruby reached for the tanto, grasping it in one hand as she staggered back to her feet. Ignoring the burning in her chest, Ruby stared at the beast, still howling to the skies above them, before looking down at the tanto. The burning in her chest grew, and her head began to thump in time with her heart. Staring at the tanto, she saw small etchings along the blade. Before, she hadn't seen them, but now she saw them. She read them.

And she smiled.

Gripping the tanto tightly, Ruby slowly raised the weapon, its tip pointed at the howling creature. Then, her breathing growing more and more shallow, Ruby turned the blade towards her chest and gripped the hilt with both hands.

**I am thou.**

"Per..." A faint red glow enveloped Ruby's form.

**And thou art I.**

"So..." A glowing outline appeared on the grow, taking the appearance for a two colored mask.

**From the Sea of Thy Soul, I come. **

"Na..." And as Ruby's eyes shone bright, sliver lights burning against the darkness, she slammed the blade into her heart.

And as the blade punctured not her flesh and blood, but her soul, her very being, Ruby heard a voice. "**You shall break no more, my child. For your time is now!**"

And Ruby screamed as a surge of energy poured through her, forcing the blade from her form, now glowing a brilliant red. The world twisted and turned in front of her, before, with the sound of shattering glass, a form appeared before her. The being was clad in a white cloak, the hood drawn over it's head. What was exposed of it's form was clad in elegant armour, white as snow. In its run hand, the being held a pole arm, its blade easily 4 feet in length alone. And as Ruby looked at her in awe, the figure turned, and Ruby saw the face of a motherly woman, a soft smile on her face.

"**I am thou, and thou art I. I am Izanami, Mother of The First Land. You are not alone, Ruby Rose. I stand for you, to help you face the world without.**" Ruby looked at the being before her, before noticing the weight in her hand. Looking down, she saw that the tanto Blake had given her was gone, replaced with a vicious looking scythe, made from twisting rose branches and thorns. Testing the weight of it, Ruby then gripped the haft of the weapon expertly, only partly worried about how she knew how to use it.

A roar drew her attention back to the situation at hand, as the beast slammed a paw to the ground, before charging at her. Ruby's eyes went wide, before a soothing embrace enveloped her. Izanami smiled once more.

"**You were once a mere child. Now, you are a warrior.** **Show the world what you are.**" Ruby watched as Izanami faded, a trail of particles returning to Ruby's glowing body. And then she smirked.

And as the roaring creature leapt towards her, Ruby leapt forwards to meet the creature, before twisting, her cruel scythe singing as it cleaved an outstretched arm from the beast. Returning to the ground, with the tip of the weapon's blade digging into the cracked tarmac, Ruby then spun the weapon around her and as it twisted around her form, reached out and slashed her hand across the vicious blade.

"Izanami!" She cried, her hand bleeding not blood, but glowing particles of light. With the sound of shattered glass, Izanami returned to the world, her naginata held behind her. At Ruby's unspoken command, Izanami rushed forward, a trail of white rose petals marking her passage. Reaching the creature, Izanami's weapon blurred as it slashed upwards. A moment later, the beast screeched in true agony as its remaining arm separated from its shoulder, the limb decaying into a withered husk before it touched the ground. Then, Izanami faded away once more, revealing an airborne Ruby, her ratty red coat now resembling a cloak of her own, her scythe raised high above her. And with a shouted "Zio!" Ruby's scythe crackled with energy, before unleashing a blast of lightning, launching the girl towards the beast. Twisting, Ruby flew past the creature, hooking the blade of her scythe around its neck. She paused for a moment, the creatures muscle and bone hold the wicked blade at bay.

And then they gave.

* * *

"Oh my."

"Well now, that was interesting."

* * *

And Ruby back flipped as her scythe removed the head from the creature's shoulders, before landing behind the falling beast, her scythe held behind her, the head of the curved weapon resting on the ground. Ruby felt her head thump painfully in time with her chest. Looking around, she saw Blake slowly staggering to her feet. And as Blake watched, Ruby felt at the strength leave her, the scythe disappearing in a burst of red rose petals. Collapsing to her knees, Ruby heard Izanami speak from a corner of her mind once more.

"**Sleep now, my child. I will watch the world for you.**"

And as Blake cried out her name, Ruby closed her eyes and fell to the side, into the nothingness of sleep.

**A/N: **Welcome back to the trashcan, I will be your guide for this evening. Now, I can hear the screams now. 'YOU CAN'T USE IZANAMI SHE'S AN IMPORTANT CHARACTER IN-" FUCK YOU I DO WHAT I WANT. "BUT SHE'S NOT A PERSONA-" DON'T CARE. "BUT-" RING 0800 TOYOTA AND TALK TO SOMEONE PAID TO CAAAAAAARE.

Ahem. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


End file.
